Brake



(No Model.)

' J. R. WILSON.

BRAKE.

No. 415,853. Patented Nov. 26, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. \VILSON, OF GREENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,853, dated November 26, 1889.

Application filed March 16,1889. Serial No. 303,591. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

"Be it known that 1, JOHN R. WILsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greensburg, in the county of WVestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Brake, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to brakes adapted to be used upon various classes of vehicles, and more particularly upon those vehicles in which the wheels are located in proximity to each other, as on coal-cars, the.

The invention has for its object to construct a brake in which two brake-shoes are employed, which are of such shape and are so arranged relatively to each other that when operated in the manner hereinafter described they will tend to wedge or force each other apart to cause them to bear upon the treads of the wheels.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinations of parts, as hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side View of a coal-car with my improved brake fitted thereto and showing the parts in the position they assume when the brake is applied. Fig. 2 is a like view showing the brake released. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the brakeshoes, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section thereof. Fig. 5 is a side view showing a modification in the construction of the brake-shoes.

' Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, Aindicates the body of the vehicle, and B B the wheels thereof.

0 0 indicate the improved brake-shoes which I employ, located between the wheels. Each of the brake-shoes is provided with a bearing surface or edge 0, curved, as shown, to correspond to the curvature of the tread of the wheels, and with a rectilinear bearing surface or edge 0.

In operating the brake-shoes it is my intention to impart to one of said shoes-was, for instance, the shoe Ca downward movement and simultaneously impart an upward move ment to the shoe G, whereby, as will be readily seen, the rectilinear bearing-surfaces of the brake-shoes will bear upon each other and cause the brake-shoes to bear upon the treads desired movements to the brake-shoes.

of the wheels. The means for operating the brake-shoes in this manner will be presently operated as described, I provide one of said 'shoes-as, for instance, the shoe Owith a rounded tenon 0 which is adapted to fit within a correspondingly-shaped groove 0 in the shoe O.

For operating the brake-shoes any suitable means may be employed that will impart the The means that I show in Figs. 1 and 2 consist of an operating-lever D, which projects forward sufficiently to be within easy reach of the operator, and its rear end is pivoted upon apin (l, projecting through a bracket d, attached to the side of the vehicle. For operating the brakesshoes from said lever D, I employ rods (Z having forked upper ends, the arms of which embrace the lever and are pivotally attached thereto. The lower ends of the rods d are provided with hooks which engage eyes attached to the upper faces of the brakeshoes.

It will be seen that when the operating-lever is depressed one of the rods d will cause the brake-shoe C to be depressed, while the other rod (1 will cause-the shoe 0 to be elevated, the rectilinear faces 0' riding over each other and forcing said shoes apart laterally, to cause the curved bearing-surfaces to bear upon the wheels.

To limit the downward movement of the shoe 0', as well as to prevent any lateral displacement of said shoes 0, owing to the incline of the treads of the wheels, I provide a bracket E, which is attached to the under side of the vehicle.

It will be 'seenthat bythe construction and arrangement of the brake-shoes described when the wheels are turning in the direction indicated by the arrows, one of said wheels will tend to depress the shoe 0, while the other wheel will tend to elevate the shoe 0; consequently the greater the load contained in the vehicle the greater will be the force with which the brake-shoes are caused to grip the wheels. It will also be seen that when the brake-shoes are applied as shown in Fig. 1 the upper and lower edges of the brake-shoes align with each other, so that the entirebearing-surface c of one shoe is exerted against the entire bearing-surface of the other, whereby the greatest effect is produced in forcing the shoes apart.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modification in the construction of the brake-shoes, which is adapted for use more particularly on those vehicles in which the Wheels are located somewhat apart. In this modification each brakeshoe is provided with the curved bearingsurface 0 and the arms 0 0 the length of which depends upon the distance that the wheels are apart. hen the shoes are operated, the arms 0 on shoe 0 will in its downward movement strike the arm 0 on the shoe C when the latter is being raised, while the arm 0 on shoe C will strike the arm 0 on shoe 0, thus causing the shoes to be forced apart in the manner described with reference to the shoes shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

If desired, my improved brake may be duplicated upon the opposite side of the vehicle, and in this case but one operating-lever will be employed, having the form of a yoke embracing the sides and front of the vehicle, so that by simply depressing the same both brakes will be operated simultaneously.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a brake for vehicles, the combination of two brake-shoes sliding upon each other and operated in reverse directions, whereby said shoes are caused to exert a wedging action upon each other, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a brake for vehicles, the combination, with two brake-shoes sliding on and exertinga wedging action upon each other, of an operating-lever and a connection between said brakeshoes and said operating-lever, whereby when the latter is depressed said brake-shoes are operated in reverse directions, for the purpose specified.

3. In a brake for vehicles, the combination of two brake-shoes adapted to exert a Wedging action upon each other, and a tenonand-groove connection between said brakeshoes, for the purpose specified.

4:- The brake-shoes O 0, provided with the curved bearing-surfaces c, and the rectilinear bearing-edges c, in combination with means for operating said brake-shoes in reverse directions,-for the purpose specified.

5. In a brake for vehicles, the two brakeshoes connected together at their inner meeting faces and sliding one upon the other in reverse directions, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN R. IVILSON.

Witnesses:

E. G. Srcenns, J. H. SIGGERS. 

